Weigela plant named ‘SMNWFG’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Weigela  plant named ‘SMNWFG’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; leaves that are dark green in color tinged with dark reddish brown; freely and remontant flowering habit; bright purplish red-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Weigela florida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNWFG’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Weigela plant, botanically known as Weigela florida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMNWFG’.

The new Weigela plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact Weigela plants with dark-colored leaves and freely and remontant flowering habit.

The new Weigela plant originated from an open-pollination in 2016 in Grand Haven, Mich. of an unnamed proprietary selection of Weigela florida, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection of Weigela florida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Weigela plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 2018 as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Weigela plant by softwood stem cuttings since 2018 in Grand Haven, Mich. has shown that the unique features of this new Weigela plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Weigela have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMNWFG’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMNWFG’ as a new and distinct Weigela plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   4. Leaves that are dark green in color tinged with dark reddish         brown.     -   5. Freely and remontant flowering habit.     -   6. Bright purplish red-colored flowers.     -   7. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Weigela differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Weigela are dark green in color         tinged with dark reddish brown whereas leaves of plants of the         female parent selection are dark green in color, but not as         darkly tinged.     -   2. Plants of the new Weigela flower more remontantly than plants         of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Weigela can also be compared to plants of the Weigela florida ‘SMWFDFPD’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,223. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Weigela differ primarily from plants of ‘SMWFDFPD’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Under high light conditions, leaves of plants of the new         Weigela are not as heavily tinged as leaves of plants of         ‘SMWFDFPD’.     -   2. Plants of the new Weigela flower more remontantly than plants         of ‘SMWFDFPD’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Weigela plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Weigela plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1 ) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMNWFG’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2 ) is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘SMNWFG’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were grown during the spring in ground beds in an outdoor nursery and in three-gallon containers in a polypropylene-covered greenhouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Weigela production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants of the new Weigela were three years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Weigela florida ‘SMNWFG’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Weigela florida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of             Weigela florida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood stem cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             months at temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; upright to             outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit;             vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 30             lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances             lateral branch development; dense and bushy plant form.         -   Plant height.—About 60 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 100 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 50 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 6 cm.         -   Texture.—Slightly pubescent along longitudinal ridges; with             development becoming less pubescent.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—About 30° to 70° from vertical.         -   Color.—Close to 144C tinged with close to 199A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite; simple.         -   Length.—About 5 cm to 7 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.5 cm to 3.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Serrulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Slightly pubescent; coriaceous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Slightly pubescence along venation;             prominent venation; coriaceous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             N144A tinged with close to 165A. Fully expanded leaves,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 147A tinged with close to             200A; venation, close to 144C; when exposed to high light             conditions, upper surface will be more heavily tinged with             dark reddish brown.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Somewhat pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 147A tinged with close to 200A. Color,             lower surface: Close to 147A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             terminal clusters or in small panicles each with about six             to twelve flowers; about 100 to 150 flowers develop per             lateral stem during the flowering season; flowers face             upright to outwardly and drooping.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Weigela flower             remontantly during the spring and summer in Grand Haven,             Mich.; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Obovate to spatulate. Color: Close to 64B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.75 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.25 cm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 3 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 3 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Salverform; five petals fused into a             tube with separate petal lobes. Petal lobe length: About             1 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1.25 cm. Petal lobe shape:             Roughly reniform. Petal lobe apex: Obtuse, occasionally             notched. Petal lobe margin: Crenate; undulate and ruffled.             Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             delicate. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture:             Glabrous, some creasing. Color: Developing petal lobes,             upper surface: Close to 70C. Developing petal lobes, lower             surface: Close to 64B. Fully expanded petal lobes, upper             surface: Close to 64B, occasionally with a medial stripe,             close to 64C; venation, close to 64B. Fully expanded petal             lobes, lower surface: Close to 64C; venation, close to 64C.             Throat: Close to 64C; venation, close to 64C. Tube: Close to             64C; venation, close to 64C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five in a single whorl, fused             at the base; calyx campanulate. Length: About 1 cm. Width:             About 1 mm. Shape: Narrowly triangular, elongated. Apex:             Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth; glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             200A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 90° from lateral branch             axis. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 144C             tinged with close to 199A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong; somewhat flexible. Aspect: About 30° to             80° from peduncle axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Close to 200A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement: Five             per flower. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color:             Close to 73B. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther size:             About 5 mm. Anther color: Close to 158B. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 158B. Pistils: Quantity:             One per flower. Pistil length: About 3.5 cm. Style length:             About 3 cm. Style color: Close to 73B. Stigma shape: Peltate             to globular, lobed. Stigma color: Close to 158C. Seeds and             fruits: To date, seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Weigela. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Weigela have exhibited good     garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and temperatures     ranging from −31° C. to 38° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Weigela have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Weigela plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Weigela plant named ‘SMNWFG’ as illustrated and described. 